I just heard a song by this group (“Incense and Peppermint”); anybody know how long this group lasted? did they have any other hits besides this one mentioned?
Are they on the revival circuit?
They only had one album (that hit the Top 200, anyway) in 1968. One of the guitarists, Ed King, went on to join Lynyrd Skynyrd.
They lasted from 1966 to 1971 and made four albums and contributed original music to the film ‘‘Psych Out.’’ I don’t know if they had any hits as big as ‘‘Incense and Peppermint,’’ but they had another pretty well known song within the rock cannon on their second album ‘‘Wake Up, It’s Tomorrow’’ called ‘‘Tomorrow.’’
I think that song is better than ‘‘Incence and Peppermint,’’ but I’m not really familiar with any of their other stuff.
Ah, but Insence and Peppermints * was in * Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
And in the party scene of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls one of the starry-eyed young girls in Hollywood for the first time said, “I’ve been to a lot of parties where records by the Strawberry Alarm Clock were played, but this is my first party where the Strawberry Alarm Clock themselves were playing!”
Cause, you know, it was such a thrill.
Ancient Rock Group “Strawberry Alarm Clock”???
(checks mirror for grey hairs)
Sheesh!
Didn’t the guy who sang lead on “Incense” just happen to be some guy in the studio, and wasn’t a regular member of the band?
ralph124c-how did you do figuring out the lyrics? fairly well mumbled huh? BTW, it was the B side. Sit With the Guru was the A side. There was some limited Tv exposure- Joey Bishop show & I recall seeing them on the Santa Monica beach music show “Groovy” in 1967.
They are also famous for “good morning starshine”, which gets a fair share of radio play.
That other song “TOMORROW” is pretty good…just wondering what these guys do today! Seems like its time for a revival of those early 60’s groups.
As I recall, they were generally considered lightweights not far removed from bubble gum music, even something of a joke. “Incense and Peppermints” was one of the two silliest pseudo-psychedelic songs ever written, the other being “Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James and the Shondells. Neither were major players on the rock scene then or now, though surprisingly they both still seem to have active fan bases.
The Captain Qwark said, “They are also famous for “good morning starshine”, which gets a fair share of radio play.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think that was the Cowsills. And a Nibby Nup Nubbie, wibbie wobba woobie, la la la loo loo, to you.
Our school’s pom-pon squad did a thing to Incense & Peppermints. It blew moose udders in hell.
Wasn’t “Good Morning Starshine” originally part of “Godspell,” or “Hair” or one of those terribly bad musicals?
Good Morning Starshine was from Hair-but it was hit for “Oliver” in 1969-#3.
Strawberry Alarm Clock is well desribed as a "bubble gum psychedelic band. "-from where else-LA.
LonesomePolecat- actually James was a fairly big player-#14 top forty tunes from 1966-69. I actually like “I think We’re Alone Now.”
Yup, Plnnr, it was one of those two. I forget…it was a very strange period for music. It was like “Up With People” were trying to muscle in on the hippy era. What a creepfest!
IIRC, Clancy Wiggum did a great version of “Good Morning Starshine” on an episode of “The Simpsons,” but the context escapes me.
That was Leonard Nimoy!
And isn’t “Incense and Peppermints” is when Homer and the hippies go on their freak-out in Springfield?
It’s true that Gred Bunford, the guy singing lead on “Incense and Peppermints” was not a regular member of the band. He was just someone they brought in to sing harmonies. Since “Incense and Peppermints” was supposed to be the B side, no one thought much about it at the time.
Tommy James and the Shondells had a whole bunch of hits, including “Hanky Panky” (another B side that ended up being a hit) “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Mony Mony,” “Mirage,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” “Draggin The Line,” “Sweet Cherry Wine,” etc. He also wrote the hit “Tighter, Tighter.”
Trying to find the silliest psychedelic song of the '60s would be the task of a lifetime. “Incense and Peppermints” is nothing - wait till you hear “It’s-a-Happening” by The Magic Mushrooms or “Visions of Your Reality” by Ultimate Spinach, or “(He’s Our Dear Old) Weatherman” by Mark Wirtz or …